Screen attaching and tensioning means



April 22, 1952 A, COHEN 2,593,539

SCREEN ATTACHING AND TENSIONING MEANS Filed Sept.V 25, 1951 Al-zoenen.

Patented pr. 22, 1952 UNITED sTATEs- PATE NT f OFFICE SCREEN ATTACHING AND TENSIONING MEANS Alexander Cohen, Los Angeles, Calif. llpplieation September 25, 1951, Serial No. 248,144

yThis invention i relates to improvements in vmeans for attaching screens or screening materials such as ordinary ily screening over window openings and the like. The invention is particularly directed to improvements in. what are commonly known as frameless window. screens. lSuch frameless means of attachment permit a lengthl of screening material to be attached to opposite'sides of a window frame, as for example, to the headk and sill of a window, and to be drawn sufiiciently taut to completely seal such window openings against the entry of insects, etc.

- Prior types of so-called4 frameless window screen attaching means required the use of rath- .er vintricately formed metal strips and specially made and designed fastening devices for connectsill provides a slopingsurface whereas the head jamb is generally plane and level.

The present invention obviates the necessity of using different means of attachment at the opposite ends of the screen, and therefore the attachment means. ofthe present invention may be @used at'both ends. 'of a screen. Theattachmen-t means maybe used on--sills, jambs or ther-sides of a window frame.' Furthermore, theattachment means of the present invention do -not require complex structural forms but, instead-consists of inexpensive readily formed elements 4free from protruding parts. The construction yis inexpensive and neat. It permits installation and tightening of the screen without the useof tools.

Q.. Generally stated, the attaching means of the present invention comprises a hollow, preferably tubular metallic member. provided with a longitudinally extending slit. The end of the screen to be positionedis inserted through the slit, the thickened end portion of the screen being received within the tubular body while the sheet itself eX- tends through the slit. The tubular element is provided with a plurality of virtually diametrically,opposed.ports.. These portsmay be `in the formof slots through which a fastening element provided ,with a flat, relatively narrow head may extend. v,The-shank of these fastening elements isf-threaded and may be readily screwed into the wooden frame of the window. The relatively thin and flat heads are` provided'- with upwardly diverging margins arranged vto selectively cooperate with the edges of the slot in the tubular element when such head is placed in a portion 5 Claims. v(AC1. 16o-328) transverse to the slot. This tends to collapse the tubular element causing it to grasp the screen and place the screen under tension. As previously indicated, fastening devices of the character stated may be used at both ends of the screen and be identical in form, construction and operation. It is an object of the present invention therefore to disclose and provide a simple and inexpensive screen attaching and tensioning means.

A further object of the invention is to' disclose and provide an improved screen attaching and tensioning means whichA is applicable for use .in all positions and in engagement with either the head jamb or the sill or the sub sill of a Window or other building opening.

A still l further object of the invention is to :disclose and provide a screen attaching and tensioning means composed of a minimum number ,of readily available and easily manufactured `elements.

These and various other objects and advantagesof the present invention will become apparent from description given hereinafter.. In

.order to facilitate understanding, reference will be had to the appended drawings in which: Fig. -1 is a perspective view of an end portion of a fastening means embodying the present invention, illustrating the use of such means between a screen and the sill of a Window. Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal sections taken through'fastening means of the character illus- .trated in Fig. l, showing such means in two positions. y f

Figl is a longitudinal section through a slightlyj modified form of the invention.

Iig. 5 is a transverse section of the attaching tubeA taken along the plane V-V in Fig. 1i.l

.Since the attaching means of the present invention areidentically the same width they are used at the upper or lower end .of a sheetfof screening, the mode of operation will be readily understood from an examination of Fig. 1. The attaching meansv of the present invention comprises va hollow tube i0 provided with a continuous open ended lateral slit ii extending longitudinally the full length of the tube I0. It is to be understoodthat theilength of the tube li) will vary with the Width of the window cr other opening which is to be provided with the screen. Ordinarily such tubes Eil are suiiiciently long to extend from side jamb to side jamb and cover the `blind stop on either side. Window screening may be obtained in various Widths so that the finished edges run vertically, the unfinished edges being rolled over or otherwise thickened and are protected against unraveling. A rolled over and brazed or spot welded end of the fly screening I2 is indicated at I3 and it will be noted that such thickened end portion of the sheet of screening is received within the hollow tube I0.

The element I is provided with a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending slots such as the slots 20 and 22. A port is formed in the tube I0 diametrically opposite and in alignment with each of the slots 20 and 22. Such ports are indicated at 2I and 23 in Figs. 2 and 3.

In order to attach the window screen I2 to the sill I8, the tubular member I0 may be laid upon the sill in the desired position and fastening means inserted through the slots 20, 22, etc. and screwed into the sill. The fastening means preferably comprises a threaded shank 24 capable of extending through the aligned slot 20 and port 2|. Each of such fastening means is provided with an enlarged head 25, such head being normally capable of passing through the slot 20 when the head 25 is in alignment with the slot. The heads 25 are relatively thin and narrow and are provided with upwardly diverging margins such as 26 and 21 extending from the shank 24. Figure 2 illustrates the initial position of the parts and it will be noted that member I0 is spaced from the sill or window framing. After the fastening means has been screwed into the frame of the window a desired distance, the head 25 is given a final quarter turn so as to place the head in a plane transverse to the slot 20. Such last turn results in a cooperative action between the diverging margins 26 and 21 of the head and the edges of the slot 2i! whereby lateral pressure is exerted upon the tube I0 and itsdiameter is slightly reduced. This final position is indicated in Figure `3 and it will be noted that the action just described has slightly depressed tube I0 into closer relationship with the sill. This not only anchors the tube firmly to the sill but also clamps the hold of the tube upon the screen and simultaneously tensions the screen.

It will be noted that the inclination or angularity of the surface to which the device is attached is immaterial. The same fastening means are used at the top of the screen that are used at the bottom. The resulting device is neat, simple to install and readily adjusted.

It will be noted that in the forms illustrated inv Figs. 2 and 3 the lower ports 2| and 23 are in the form of slots through which the head 25 may readily extend. As shown in Fig. 4 the lower ports such as the port 2I is only sufficiently large to permit passage of the shank of the fastening de:- vice whereas the upper slot 20 is sufficiently large to permit passage of the head of such device. In Fig. 4 the fastening means comprises an ordinary screw eye having the head 25 and a threaded shank 24'. The upwardly diverging margins 26 and 21 of the eye cooperate with the edges of the slot 20 in exactly the same manner as has been described in connection with Figs. 2 and 3. Such screw eyes may be used in a tubular mem ber such as is shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, or instead of a tube, the body member or rod may be in the form of a hollow element of rectangular section illustrated in Fig. 5 at I0. It will be noted that the screen receiving slit II is in one of the walls and extends laterally away from the opposing aligned ports 20 and 2|.

Ordinarily two or three screw eyes or other fastening devices provide adequate holding power to a device for a normal screen used in dwellings.

The tubular member is preferably made of resilient metal and is relatively stii from end to end, and as previously indicated, acts as a tensioning pinch bar.

The tube form of device illustrated in Figs 1, 2 and 3 may be readily made from sheet aluminum alloy, the ports and slots being punched out while the stock is flat and such stock then rolled into a tube, the longitudinal edges of such ribbon stock forming the slit II through which the end portion of a screen may be readily inserted. A similar mode of manufacture may be utilized in making the holding rod of rectangular cross-section illustrated in Fig. 5.

It is to be remembered that various fastening means may be used instead of the flat-headed members 25 and 25'. The tubular member may be provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced virtually diametrically aligned ports (the end-to-end slit being laterally displaced from a plane passing through such ports) and each of the fastening means may comprise a table-type lag bolt, the lower end being provided with wood screw threads while the top is provided with machine threads. After said lag bolts are screwed into the sill or frame and the tubular member is placed with such bolts extending through the aligned ports, wing nuts may be threaded into the upper ends of the lag bolts to press against the tubular member and grasp and tension the screen.

Attention is called to the fact that when the heads of the fastening means illustrated in Figs. l-3 are in alignment with the slots 20 and 2|. the tubular member can be readily removed, without the necessity of completely unscrewing the fastening means. Furthermore, the term screening as used herein is not limited to so-called wire insect screening, since the devices of this invention may be used to position and tension any sheet material such as translucent or transparent resinous sheeting, cloth or the like for use in greenhouses, animal houses, etc.

All changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

l. Screen attaching and tensioning means comprising: a hollow tubular member provided with a continuous open ended, lateral slit extending longitudinally the full length of the member, said hollow member being adapted to receive `a thickened end portion of a sheet of screening with the sheet extending through said slit; a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending slots in said tubular member angularly and substantially uniformly displaced from said slit, a port formed in the member diametrically opposite and in alignmentwith each of said slots; and a fastening means extending through each pair of aligned slots and ports, said fastening means in cluding a head provided with upwardly divergng margins, said margins cooperating with certain edges of the associated slot and thereby reducing the diameter of the member and narrowing the slit therein to thereby grasp and tighten the screen material extending from said slit.

2. Screen attaching and tensioning means comprising: a hollow tubular member provided with a continuous open ended, lateral slit extending longitudinally the full length of the member, said hollow member being adapted to receive a thickened end portion of a sheet of screening with the sheet extending through said slit; a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending slots in said tubular member, a port formed in the member diametrically opposite and in alignment with each of said slots; and a fastening means having a threaded shaft adapted to extend through said port, each fastening means being provided with a relatively fiat head including margins diverging upwardly from said`shank, said head being slidable through said slot when in alignment therewith and said diverging margins being arranged to selectively cooperate with the edges of the associated slot to reduce the diameter of the tube and narrow the slit and depress the tube when said head is turned into a plane at an angle to said slot, whereby the screen is placed under tension.

3. Screen attaching means of the character stated in claim 2 wherein the screen receiving slit is laterally displaced from a plane passing through said slots and ports.

4. Screen attaching means of the character stated in claim 2 wherein the tubular member is of resilient metal, whereby said member is relatively stiif and tensioning pressure of said fastening means is distributed along the entire length of the slit.

5. Screen attaching and tensioning means comprising: a hollow tubular member of resilient metal, said member being provided with a contnuous open-ended slit extending longitudinally the full length of the member and adapted to receive the end portion of a sheet material; a plurality of virtually diametrically opposed ports spaced longitudinally of the member, said continuous slit being laterally displaced from a plane passing through said ports; and a fastening means extending through each pair of opposed ports, one end of each fastening means being threaded and attachable to a fixed support, and the other end of the fastening means carrying a head movable into contact with the tubular member adjacent the port associated with the fastening means to apply pressure on the tubular member tending to narrow the slit and depress the member.

ALEXANDER COHEN.

Name Date Krammerer Nov. 12, 1935 Number 

